Belmont Primary School

'Belmont has always struck the right balance between academia and learning for life.' Parent

'A school that doesn't just excel at the academics but provides so much more, whether its music lessons and the lunchtime choir, or the 350 spaces in clubs each week, the football and netball teams or the shows that raise the roof of the top hall.' Parent Governor

'The children are really fortunate to have such wonderful opportunities which is why they love Belmont and which makes it such an amazing school.' Parent

'All adults in the school model very high expectations of themselves and of others. They show outstanding levels of care and concern for the personal development and well-being of each individual pupil.' Ofsted 2007

'Moving on to secondary school, I will miss the teachers at Belmont, the great sense of a hard working community, my friends and the netball team.' Lara

'On my first day at Belmont everyone was so welcoming and I made friends straight away'. Freya

School structure

Belmont is a two-form entry primary school with 420 full-time places for 4-11 year olds and 52 part-time places for nursery-aged children. Nursery children attend for 15 hours each week according to the option chosen by parents; these are outlined in more detail in the Starting school section. Each year group from Reception to Year 6 has space for 60 pupils in two classes of 30. Whilst each class has its own class teacher and attached support staff, the School is organised so that children in the same year group regularly share activities to develop a year group identity. Children may be periodically regrouped into the two classes as they move through the school.

The school has four phases, as follows:

Early Years: Nursery and Reception (3-5 year olds)

There are four Nursery groups, each with 13 children who attend the same five sessions each week. across five mornings and three afternoons. The Nursery team comprises the class teacher and two Early Years practitioners. The two Reception classes each have a full-time Early Years practitioner as well as class teacher. These two year groups are largely based on the ground floor where there is free-flow between the indoor and outdoor learning areas. The children also have access to facilities such as the Infant Library, ICT suite and halls on the upper floors.

Key Stage 1: Years 1 and 2 (5-7 year olds)

The Year 1 and Year 2 classes each have a full-time class teacher and their own teaching assistant every morning. Further teaching or assistant support may be provided according to the needs of individuals or groups. These classes regularly make use of the Infant Library and ICT suite and have their own playground, where they have both a morning and an afternoon playtime and designated PE sessions.

Lower Key Stage 2: Years 3 and 4 (7-9 year olds)

Children enter the Junior part of the school in Year 3. The children have a more extended school day with no afternoon break, and have the use of the Junior facilities: Library, ICT suite and playground as well as the upper halls. In Year 4, children are grouped across the year group for Mathematics, with lessons being taught by the two class teachers with the support of one or more teaching assistants.

Upper Key Stage 2: Years 5 and 6 (9-11 year olds)

In Years 5 and 6 children continue to be grouped within their own year groups for Mathematics, with teaching assistants deployed according to the need for further support. These older pupils take increasing responsibility within the School community as they prepare to make the transition to secondary school.